Chuck is the author of the published novels: Blackbirds, Mockingbird, Under the Empyrean Sky, Blue Blazes, Double Dead, Bait Dog,Dinocalypse Now, Beyond Dinocalypse and Gods & Monsters: Unclean Spirits. He also the author of the soon-to-be-published novels: The Cormorant, Blightborn (Heartland Book #2), Heartland Book #3, Dinocalypse Forever, Frack You, and The Hellsblood Bride. Also coming soon is his compilation book of writing advice from this very blog: The Kick-Ass Writer, coming from Writers Digest.

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is an alum of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter’s Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, showed at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producers Ted Hope and Anne Carey. Together they co-wrote the digital transmedia drama Collapsus, which was nominated for an International Digital Emmy and a Games 4 Change award.

Chuck has contributed over two million words to the game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP). He was a frequent contributor to The Escapist, writing about games and pop culture.

Much of his writing advice has been collected in various writing- and storytelling-related e-books.

He currently lives in the forests of Pennsyltucky with wife, two dogs, and tiny human.

He is likely drunk and untrustworthy. This blog is NSFW and probably NSFL.

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. This is his blog. He talks a lot about writing. And food. And pop culture. And his kid. He uses lots of naughty language. NSFW. Probably NSFL. Be advised.

Saturday Specimens Of Hilarity: Flight Of The Conchords

Ye gods, I love this art.

It’s by some dude named Sam Gilbey. He does great work, and I found his site randomly; bop on over, check out his work.

I’m not super-late on the Conchords bandwagon, having come into their Kiwi Folk Hip-Hop around the time of their HBO comedy special (a couple-few years before they actually had the series on the same network) — that being said, I know they had a fairly zealous following before that, a cult audience that boosted them. Never forsake a cult audience, is what I’m saying. Well. Okay, no, what I’m actually saying is — why the hell aren’t you digging the Conchords? Is something wrong with you? Did you get a brain parasite from eating too much cat poop? Did a camping hatchet separate your corpus collosum? Are you not a human, but a robot from the distant future?

Maybe it’s because their comedy personas aren’t actually far off from their actual personas.

Could be that their comedy is far reaching — they’ll sweep in low for the dick joke, but they’ll also play with verbal banter, awkward pauses, relationship drama.

Is it that they cover the musical bases? Hip-hop, reggae, folk, 80’s synth, dance, and the like?

I’m not sure I even want to examine it. Some things are simply worth having and experiencing without worrying too much about the whys of the whole deal.

Some quick notes, though –

I love both full release albums, but sometimes, you get better versions of their songs by digging up bootlegs or previous live versions. Some of their NPR recordings from Fresh Air are, in my mind, better than when the versions are fully produced. Don’t get me wrong, some of their songs deserve robust production — Business Time, Too Many Dicks On The Dancefloor, and the like. But others, you want to hear their improvisation, their pregnant pauses, their charming awkwardness. I feel like their personalities come out more in those lesser-known versions.

Also, the TV show is great. First season is better than the second in my mind, but only by like, a tuft of hair. Of course, the shame of it is, the second season ends with them going back to New Zealand (er, spoiler alert? does that matter on an HBO comedy show?), which is apparently not unlike what really happened. Famous for not giving many interviews, apparently the reality is that they’re tired of the show, and so they went back to the big NZ and will not commit to a third season (despite big ratings and a strong following). This is equal parts “sad” and “awesome.” Sad because, fuck it, I want more. Awesome because, even in this their personalities come to the fore — they really are awkward and strange and given over the foibles of musicians and the madness of comedians. A potent emu-kick combo.

Anyway. Yeah. Flight of the Conchords. Diggit.

Grooveshark tracks, below. (Sorry, had to put them in separate little widgets. One widget wasn’t loading the tracks right.)